September 2015

President Des Shaw [email protected] Changes for the International Tournaments Hon. Treasurer Paul Thomson [email protected] Morning Tea Ticket Orders Hon. Secretary Angela Hart [email protected] Future Tours Golf Day Bud Collins Editor Cecilie McIntyre [email protected] IC Junior Challenge details

Link to IC Council website www.ictennis.net News of Members Drop Shots.

Announcement from Auckland : Commencing in 2016, ASB will become the naming rights sponsor for both the current ASB Classic as well as the formerly Heineken Open. This will be the first time in 35 years that the events have both carried the same name and secures an exciting future for our summer of tennis. ASB have been a huge contributor to tennis in New Zealand and this latest deal will ensure we are able to continue the growth the events have enjoyed in recent years. Heineken will continue as a key sponsor of the Events and remain the Official Beer. To kick off the new ASB Classic we also announced two major signings who will headline the fast approaching Events. Venus Williams will be back to defend her 2015 crown whilst superstar Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been secured to headline the Men’s field at the ASB Classic. This is the start of a number of big signings we have in store this year which we are sure will be the biggest and best Events yet. Karl Budge

Morning Teas and Tickets for the 2 International Tournaments in January 2015.

As mentioned in the last newsletter the morning teas on the 2 Mondays will follow the pattern of this year's tournaments. These will be paid for by ICNZ with Tennis Auckland supplying tickets and ground passes to IC members only. Tennis Auckland will supply one free ticket for an IC Member and a free ground pass for their guest for the Monday of the appropriate tournament. : Females ASB Classic Women’s Monday 4th January at 10.30 Males ASB Classic Men’s Monday 11th January at 10.30 and 2 free ground passes for the other tournament in each case.

This will enable you to attend one or both of the morning teas. Of course if your partner or guest wishes to sit in the stand with the member another ticket will need to be purchased.

Last week Angela emailed the notice and ORDER FORM to all NZ based members. The cut off date is definitely Wed 30th September so please fill in the form and post to Rebecca at Tennis Auckland. All members need to return the form if they want any tickets, but only pay if you need an extra stand ticket. Your acceptance via Tennis Auckland will also give us the numbers who will be attending the 2 morning teas, so we can cater for these. If you need another copy of the reply form and details please email Angela Hart at [email protected]

1 Future Tours We are engaging in discussions with the IC's of USA and Luxembourg. At this stage it is hopeful US will call in here after the and Luxembourg will visit after Easter, both 2016. There are other events on around the world, see the link to IC Council website, but we don't have plans to send a full team to any event next year. It is possible ICNZ members who are overseas may wish to join in as a combined team if clubs need extra entries in their events. (Quentin Maisey played with Canada this year in Belgium.)

Grateful thanks to Wellington member Colin Frampton who added a sizeable donation to his subs payment. He has asked for it to be used towards our player support fund. As it happens this year we will be taking part in the IC Asian Junior Challenge in Singapore at the end of October. IC Members will know that every second year 5 Regional Challenges are held around the world for 16 year and under boys and girls. The winners then play the World Finals in the odd years. Last year soon after Wimbledon, the finals were held on the famous grass courts and next year they will be at the renown courts in Monte Carlo where they will be hosted by the IC of Monaco. We have combined with Tennis NZ to send 2 boys and 2 girls to Singapore. The girls battled through a round robin event last weekend to find the top players who will also be part of the WTA Future Stars event the week before. This will be held in conjunction with the WTA end of year Finals featuring the top 8 ranked women players! It is very likely our team will be managed by Marcel Vos who is an IC Member.

IC and Tennis Auckland Golf Day. Once again James Greenhalgh is planning this fun day. At this stage he thinks it will be at Whitford Park on 11th or 18th December. More details later.

2 From the ‘email’ bag.

(From Shali Hutchins at the IC Council ) Dear Cecilie Fabulous newsletter – a very good read! We are very sorry to hear of the sad loss of Murray Dunn. We certainly remember Murray attending the IC AGMs and it was a pleasure to have met him. Our sincere condolences to members of Murray’s family and to all his friends at IC of New Zealand. He will be truly missed but no doubt there are many fond memories to cherish. Very best wishes, Shali

Message from Steve Walker early July. Steve was a member of IC Australia before he came to be CEO of Tennis NZ. He had a link with Athol when the Trans Tasman events were played in Australia, and emailed the results to us each evening. I asked him if he was still interested in receiving our newsletters. Hello Cecilie Thanks for this email. I hope all is well for you and IC NZ. I would definitely like to be sent the newsletters and remain very grateful for being made a member in September 2009. Since leaving (five years!) I’ve been working as CEO of Yachting Victoria and that is going well. Cath and the kids are well. The twins just turned six. We are very much a tennis family and have several club mem- berships, attend many tournaments with the kids, and seem to be around tennis all the time. I keep a very close eye on Marina, Artem, Rubin and Marcus, as well as Michael Venus (although he was OS the whole 3.5 years I was in NZ so I didn’t really know him). It is great to have four NZ players playing Main Draw at Wimbledon this year. Regards to Des, Brian and all the others. Steve

Most of the players Steve mentioned were also playing in the US Open, but couldn’t quite continue the success they all had at Wimbledon. Marcus and Michael won their first matches but like Artem lost in the 3rd set tiebreaker. The no-ad scoring and ‘super tie break’ is not used in the doubles at US Open. Marina thought her knee, injured during Wimbledon, had recovered enough to play even though she has not been able to play much since, but it was not to be. She met a tough first round opponent in the 2nd seed Simona Halep and had to retire in the second set. Aways difficult, especially on the Stadium court.

(Marina receiving treatment mid-match)

3 Committee Member Kevin Woolcott has sent this message. The Mt Wellington Tennis Club has included Wheelchair Tennis as part of its club activities with a training day to work with children with a disability set for 19 September.

Halberg Disability Sports Trust, Parafed Auckland have supported the programme so if you know anyone who would like to come and try wheelchair tennis, let me know please. I have sent invitations out to a number of organisations including the Stroke Thrivers Foundation children.

If anyone is keen to work with disabled children call me please. It is very rewarding. 19 September 9 - 10.30 am (NET) No exceptions training course. 11am - 1pm wheelchair tennis coaching course. [email protected] Have a look at Kevin in action, click this link .

Bud Collins Honoured

After more than 50 years of covering tennis as a journalist and historian, the contributions that Bud Collins has made to the sport will now be forever remembered at the US Open. The Hall of Fame inductee was joined by his wife, and other family members in a special dedication ceremony to officially name the press center at the US Open the “Bud Collins US Open Media Center.” Legends of the game, including , and Rosie Casals, were all in attendance to pay tribute to the man they consider both a friend and a pioneer to the sport. “He was one of the few that cared about women’s tennis be- fore it ever became popular, and I will never forget that,” said King. “I love him as a friend, but I also love him as a historian. Do you recognise this man with We wouldn’t know half of the facts that we know about Bud? Answer below . tennis if it weren’t for Bud.”

Bud came to Auckland to comment for at least 2 tournaments. He first began writing a tennis column for the Globe in 1963, eventually joining WGBH-TV for its national tennis broadcasts. He went on to join NBC Sports and become the iconic face of "Breakfast at Wimbledon" for 35 years.

Collins has also written eight books on the history of tennis, including the "Bud Collins: History of Tennis" encyclopedia. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.

( The late .)

4 Drop Shots After writing earlier about Bud Collins I located this photo taken at the IC morning tea during the 2006 Heineken Open. Bud, Keith Quinn and Des Shaw.

This is the first year Nadal has not won a Grand Slam Singles since his first 10 years ago. He was runner up in his first ATP singles final, in Auckland!

This is how a ball hit at 142mph looks !!

US Sportsmanship Awards this year have been won by 2 players with whom NZ fans are familiar. Kevin Anderson, who has played in Auckland several times and was coached by his good friend GD Jones for several years, delighted crowds during his run to the US Open quarterfinals, delivering big serves to standing ovations and earning the respect from all involved along the way with his genteel manner. Venus Williams won the Women’s award , which is given to players who demonstrate excellence in sports- manship throughout the American hardcourt season.

Thanks to those who have contributed to this newsletter.

If you live outside Auckland please consider coming to watch some of the International Tournaments and if possible join us on the Mondays.

Don’t forget to return your forms to Tennis Auckland as soon as possible….don’t leave it, very easily forgotten! CLOSING DATE 30th September

To read the previous newsletter click here.

For the committee ,

Cecilie [email protected]

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